Scouts All Abuzz Over Killer Bees

The Los Angeles County Boy Scouts has changed its motto to “Bee Prepared” as part of a community service project in Culver City to get out the word about Africanized honeybees--the so-called killer bees that have struck fear and fascination into Southlanders.

The Scouts take the bee threat so seriously that they staged a simulation of a bee-stinging incident. Media packets include “Don’t Tease the Bees” milk caps, primers on anaphylactic shock and sting survival, and a “Ghostbusters”-style “Who Ya Gonna Call” list for information on the buzzing little terrors.

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ALL WET: When trying to squeeze information out of tight-lipped felons, police officers often employ a questioning method called a “fishing expedition.”

But last week, Beverly Hills cops found themselves having to fish for more than just answers. They also had to fish for the suspect--literally.

Police said they responded to a call of a suspicious person in the 200 block of South Williman Drive in Beverly Hills. The description of the man, police noted, matched that of a suspect wanted in a Los Angeles rape that occurred a half-hour earlier only blocks away.

Beverly Hills officers called in a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter to aid in the search. The chopper almost immediately spotted the man trying to hide on a nearby rooftop.

The suspect dashed across the roof and leaped to an adjacent house. He then tried to jump to the roof of the next house, but he fell--right into a swimming pool.

Police fished out the suspect, who sustained back and leg injuries in the landing, and took him to the hospital, where he was identified as the rape suspect. He was treated and handed over to the LAPD.

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NAUGHTY AND NICE: Santa Claus isn’t the only one keeping track of who’s naughty and who’s nice this Christmas. So is the Santa Monica Police Department.

The naughty should beware that the police have started their annual holiday program to curb drunken driving. On Dec. 16, Santa Monica officers, joined by the California Highway Patrol, set up a checkpoint at 7th Street and Santa Monica Boulevard. Officers stopped more than 850 cars and--Santa would be proud of this--found only two intoxicated motorists.

The officers will also be on the lookout for revelers who have over-imbibed on New Year’s Eve.

And for you nice drivers, Santa Monica police have been issuing Good Driver Citations. Motorists who have displayed conscientious driving skills or have been “caught” performing an act of kindness have been rewarded with two movie tickets from Mann Theaters.